In this unit, we learnt about the kingdoms and phyla of the taxonomic levels, including some major classes. The tree of life was a huge concept in this unit. It shows how different kingdoms have evolved over time, how some emerged, and from where they got their features. These features develop through natural selection. All living organisms are divided into different levels: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. The division helps scientists study organisms that are more closely related and learn about specific characteristics. To see the evolutionary relationships, scientists use cladograms, which show where new traits appeared
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There are three main domains and six kingdoms. Domain Archaea contains organims that live in extreme environments. We do not have much information on them since they live in places that are difficult to reach/study. Domain bacteria contains eubacteria. They come in a variety of shapes and produce antibiotics. Viruses are classified as non living,but they contain genetic material. Once they latch onto a host, they come to "life" and begin making copies of themselves to infect other organisms. Some people theorize that viruses were the basis of life, and that it evolved to become alive. Domain Archaea and Bacteria were the earliest forms of life and they may have reconnected to form Domain Eukarya, which contains the forms of life that we are more familiar with.
Kingdom Plantae is made of plants. All of them perform photosynthesis to obtain sugars. All phyla except bryophyta use a vascular system to transport nutrients. Phylum Angiosperm are all the flowering/ fruit plants which provide us with fruit to eat.Kingdom Fungi is quite different from plants. Their cells walls are made of chitin and they absorb food through their hyphae. They can reproduce sexually or asexually. Along with bacteria, they are the main decomposers in any ecosystem.
Most animals - 97% - do not have backbones. These are called invertebrates.Sponges are the most primitive types of animals, since they are closely related to protists. Cnidarians are similar, but they have specialized tissues. Flatworms are solid and can move around, but their guts are incomplete or not there. Mollusks have a complete digestive tract and a type of respiratory system. The evolution of traits to support more complex life keep developing. Phylum Arthropoda are even more so adapted. They have exoskeletons and sensory systems/ antennas. Insects are the dominant arthropods, and to the disgust of some humans, can be found almost everywhere. Crustaceans are the marine version of arthropods. Phylum Echinodermata is the closest related to vertebrates, they are on the same branch. They use a water vascular system.
Vertebrates make up the other 3% of animals. All belong to Phylum Chordata. Class Agnatha were the first recognizable vertebrates but were jawless fish. Condricthyes are fish that have cartilaginous skeletons and jaws. Osteicythes have jaws and bony skeletons. They have an operculum that helps protect the gills and move water over them so the fish does not have to constantly move to live. The fish develop over time due to natural selection. Amphibians are the transitionary class since they can live on both water and land. The tiktaalik was the transitionary animal. Its fins became strong enough to support its weight so it could walk.
Reptiles are cold blooded and have a three chamber heart like the amphibians. Classes Aves and mammalia are warm blooded and have four chamber hearts. Class Aves consists of all the birds. The archaeopteryx was a animal that was between the stage of dinosaurs(reptile) to birds. Mammals are the organisms we think of as "animals". They have active large brains, complex social, feeding and reproductive behaviors and hair. We are mammals. Millions of years of evolution has helped shaped our species today.
The concepts were not hard this unit, however, it was a lot of information to absorb. I kept mixing up different characteristics of different phyla.I want to learn more about the transitionary animals. How do the animals change anatomically? Will the human race evolve into a new species? Why have we not discovered all the species on earth yet? How come the human race is dominant and if we go extinct who will take over next? Are humans doing a bad thing by keeping endangered species? Why do people misclassify organisms all the time?
For my What on Earth Evolved? presentation, I chose the Archaeopteryx. It fascinated me because it was an extinct species and I wanted to learn more about it. I learnt some very interesting facts, since the species has a lot of mystery and controversy surrounding it and the facts changed almost every year. My presentation could have gone much better. I was super nervous because it was my first presentation in biology so I did not know what to expect. I did not have many words but rather more pictures. I like to explain and not be held down to a script. I could have explained things a lot better and I should have run through it out loud a few more times. I felt that I held most people's attention since there was not much for them to see on the screen. For my TED talk, I will definitely practice more and stay calm. Although it is May, I am proud that I stuck to my New Year's goal all through April, especially with biology. I finished vodcasts the day they were assigned and I started on my presentation three weeks before. I also spread out my studying the best for this test.
There are three main domains and six kingdoms. Domain Archaea contains organims that live in extreme environments. We do not have much information on them since they live in places that are difficult to reach/study. Domain bacteria contains eubacteria. They come in a variety of shapes and produce antibiotics. Viruses are classified as non living,but they contain genetic material. Once they latch onto a host, they come to "life" and begin making copies of themselves to infect other organisms. Some people theorize that viruses were the basis of life, and that it evolved to become alive. Domain Archaea and Bacteria were the earliest forms of life and they may have reconnected to form Domain Eukarya, which contains the forms of life that we are more familiar with.
Kingdom Plantae is made of plants. All of them perform photosynthesis to obtain sugars. All phyla except bryophyta use a vascular system to transport nutrients. Phylum Angiosperm are all the flowering/ fruit plants which provide us with fruit to eat.Kingdom Fungi is quite different from plants. Their cells walls are made of chitin and they absorb food through their hyphae. They can reproduce sexually or asexually. Along with bacteria, they are the main decomposers in any ecosystem.
Most animals - 97% - do not have backbones. These are called invertebrates.Sponges are the most primitive types of animals, since they are closely related to protists. Cnidarians are similar, but they have specialized tissues. Flatworms are solid and can move around, but their guts are incomplete or not there. Mollusks have a complete digestive tract and a type of respiratory system. The evolution of traits to support more complex life keep developing. Phylum Arthropoda are even more so adapted. They have exoskeletons and sensory systems/ antennas. Insects are the dominant arthropods, and to the disgust of some humans, can be found almost everywhere. Crustaceans are the marine version of arthropods. Phylum Echinodermata is the closest related to vertebrates, they are on the same branch. They use a water vascular system.
Vertebrates make up the other 3% of animals. All belong to Phylum Chordata. Class Agnatha were the first recognizable vertebrates but were jawless fish. Condricthyes are fish that have cartilaginous skeletons and jaws. Osteicythes have jaws and bony skeletons. They have an operculum that helps protect the gills and move water over them so the fish does not have to constantly move to live. The fish develop over time due to natural selection. Amphibians are the transitionary class since they can live on both water and land. The tiktaalik was the transitionary animal. Its fins became strong enough to support its weight so it could walk.
Reptiles are cold blooded and have a three chamber heart like the amphibians. Classes Aves and mammalia are warm blooded and have four chamber hearts. Class Aves consists of all the birds. The archaeopteryx was a animal that was between the stage of dinosaurs(reptile) to birds. Mammals are the organisms we think of as "animals". They have active large brains, complex social, feeding and reproductive behaviors and hair. We are mammals. Millions of years of evolution has helped shaped our species today.
The concepts were not hard this unit, however, it was a lot of information to absorb. I kept mixing up different characteristics of different phyla.I want to learn more about the transitionary animals. How do the animals change anatomically? Will the human race evolve into a new species? Why have we not discovered all the species on earth yet? How come the human race is dominant and if we go extinct who will take over next? Are humans doing a bad thing by keeping endangered species? Why do people misclassify organisms all the time?
For my What on Earth Evolved? presentation, I chose the Archaeopteryx. It fascinated me because it was an extinct species and I wanted to learn more about it. I learnt some very interesting facts, since the species has a lot of mystery and controversy surrounding it and the facts changed almost every year. My presentation could have gone much better. I was super nervous because it was my first presentation in biology so I did not know what to expect. I did not have many words but rather more pictures. I like to explain and not be held down to a script. I could have explained things a lot better and I should have run through it out loud a few more times. I felt that I held most people's attention since there was not much for them to see on the screen. For my TED talk, I will definitely practice more and stay calm. Although it is May, I am proud that I stuck to my New Year's goal all through April, especially with biology. I finished vodcasts the day they were assigned and I started on my presentation three weeks before. I also spread out my studying the best for this test.
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